Moa Park Track

The route starts on a farm track climbing along the forest edge above open farmland. Pages Saddle is about 1 km in; the Rameka Track forks left there, so keep on the Moa Park line. At roughly 3 km, Wainui Saddle is the next important junction. Wainui Track heads north from here; the Moa Park route continues into bush and climbs the west side of Evans Ridge. The saddle can be hard to pick out, so watch for the junction rather than expecting a broad, obvious pass.

Forest and open country alternate on the climb. Near the ridge top, dracophyllum scrub replaces much of the taller bush, and exposed roots make the footing rougher. The track dips through two creek gullies before meeting the Inland Track, then descends a short way to the basin. The endpoint is roughly 250 m higher than the car park, with smaller rises and dips along the way; this is a sustained, uneven walk rather than a smooth grade.

Moa Park is an open pocket of tussock and low scrub surrounded by forested ridges, an unexpected high-country scene in a park known for its coast. Moa Park Shelter stands beside Table Creek. It is a former hut with its bunks removed, so treat it as a sheltered lunch stop, not overnight accommodation. The stream is part of the scenery, but reliable drinking water is scarce on the approach; bring what you need rather than planning to refill.

A short side track from the Inland Track leads to Porter Rock, a granite outcrop with views over the surrounding country. It is a useful add-on if you have time and good footing left. For a photo of the basin, include some of the rounded tussock and scrub in the foreground and the forested ridge behind; a tight crop of shrubs loses the scale that makes Moa Park distinctive. The unmaintained route toward Mt Evans is a separate navigation-heavy outing, not part of this mapped walk.

Park at Canaan Downs car park, also used for the Harwoods Hole Track and campsite. The final approach is about 11 km on narrow, winding, unsealed Canaan Road, so allow time to drive it carefully. Carry all your water: DOC notes few reliable sources and Giardia risk in untreated park water. Wainui Saddle can be indistinct, occasional snow reaches Moa Park and upper Evans Ridge, and wasps are especially common from December to April. Dogs are not allowed on the Inland Track, which this walk joins.